OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City Indian Clinic (OKCIC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit clinic providing health and wellness services to American Indians in central Oklahoma, wants to bring awareness to domestic violence.
Native Americans have a higher rate of intimate partner violence than any other race. In their lifetime nearly 55 percent have experienced physical violence by intimate partners, according to a U. S. Department of Justice report.
To bring and raise awareness, OKCIC created multiple outreach and interactive events to help educate people on the issues of bullying and domestic violence. Events in October included Bowling Against Bullying, Women’s Self Defense Class and Clinic Culture Night.
“Although there aren’t many current studies that identify the rate of dating violence in Native communities, we do know that Native women in the United States experience some of the highest rates of sexual assault in the country,” Robyn Sunday-Allen said, CEO of OKCIC. “Because of this, Oklahoma City Indian Clinic offers a variety of cultural activities and educational events to prevent domestic violence and promote healthy relationships for American Indians in central Oklahoma.”
Bowling Against Bullying was held on Oct. 15, 2018, at HeyDay in Bricktown. This event was directed towards youth aged 7-to-17 to educate them on anti-bullying. Along with education, this event included a fun bowling experience for each attendee.
Clinic Culture Night was held on Oct. 17, 2018, at OKCIC with 20 people in attendance. This event was open to patients and non-patients. It included painting and a guest speaker who spoke about domestic violence. For more information or to register for a future Clinic Culture Night event, contact (405) 948. 4900 ext. 604.
Nearly 20 women attended the Women’s Self Defense Class on Oct. 24, 2018. These women learned how to protect themselves through self-defense techniques, including defense tactics against rape, con artists, robbery, weapons, chokes, punches, kicks and hair grabs.
About Oklahoma City Indian Clinic
Oklahoma City Indian Clinic (OKCIC) was established in 1974 to provide excellent health care and wellness services to American Indians in central Oklahoma. The clinic staff cares for more than 20,000 patients from more than 220 federally recognized tribes every year. American Indians can receive a range of services, including medical, dental, pediatrics, prenatal, pharmacy, optometry, physical fitness, nutrition, family programs and behavioral health services. For more information, please visit www.okcic.com.
